THE SAMUEL SERIES 8: HIS GREAT NAME
When you’re trying to get out the door for church and everyone is dressed in their Sunday’s best, does anyone else find unusual amounts of discord? Or around this time of year, for instance. We are all hustling and bustling; excited for the parties and the programs, and the family. And yet, there is an edge and an undertone of discord. Maybe it’s just us? Is it, though? Think about when you’re about to leave the house and the kids start freaking out, you can’t find anything to wear, you argue with your spouse about being late, your attitude and your joy get interrupted. And I don’t know about you, but we have decided on occasion to turn the car around to go home because of it; not getting to that party, getting to church, or even out for a family night. The discord is certainly part of our humanity, but I would say we have also felt the intense interaction with the enemy in those moments as well. And it’s our choice as to how we battle it, how we resist the schemes of the devil.
The enemy is trying to turn to evil what was meant for good. I assert that he feels and senses the joy, the spirit of God, the love and the hope, and he HATES it. He will use anything to separate us from the Father’s love, His purposes, His ways. That’s his ugly, people-hating purpose, and none of us are immune. I bet you ask any pastor or leader or “good person” or anyone, how many times they’ve argued on the way to somewhere that honors the Father or shines the light. Ask them! I don’t doubt this is the same scenario for them. No one is exempt from Satan’s schemes, and all we have to do is say one name. Like, literally.
S A Y T H E N A M E of J E S U S. It shuts satan down. It lines us up with our Maker, our Potter, our Sword and our Shield, and all of the enemy’s lies and destruction have to flee and go back to hell where they came from. The enemy cannot stand in the presence of even the spoken name of Jesus. The light is too bright. THE LIGHT IS TOO BRIGHT.
After Steve and I adamantly opposed “terminating the pregnancy,” we felt the attack of the enemy on multiple occasions while I was on bedrest. There were obviously fear-related valleys, and statistics, but there were clear moments in time when we literally felt the enemy clawing his way into the room where we desperately filled with only things from above. I would say the most vivid moment was when I requested a second neonatologist to consult us while Steve was present to give information about Cerebral Palsy. Simply that. We asked her to come in for that specific purpose. We just wanted to learn about it. Nothing else.
Then she walked in. And it was immediate. It felt like the devil wrapped every glance, every word, every smirk, every stare in his disdain, his lies. The neonatologist spoke of all things death and loss and pain. She spoke of regret, terror, and statistics. Steve, was gracious (as always) and fished for her to give us a stat that was hopeful, and her response was: “We had a baby who has been in our NICU for 2 years and he just went home.” That’s it.
I was strangely silent as if the Lord shielded the door of mouth from ripping her head off. She then left, and terror and panic and shaking filled my being. Steve kept referring to her one hopeful example, which we both knew was a far cry from actually making these feelings go away. And I remember we both looked at each other, and said, “let’s pray.” We prayed aloud and cast out evil from that place, from the chair she sat into the door frame she walked through in JESUS name! We spoke His name over and over again, “JESUS, JESUS, JESUS.” We spoke in faith in who Jesus is, His power and victory, and that is how we battled. Jesus’ name was the name we battled the enemy with.
The tears slowed, the breathing tempered, and as we said “amen,” I opened my eyes and the peace was back. That’s it! That’s how we know it was an attack from the enemy. The triumph and the victory over the devil and His schemes were there “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony,”
When he had his final NICU follow-up after he was discharged from the NICU, guess who his doctor was? HER! And it again was the grace of God to show me that is wasn’t necessarily her but the enemy trying to steal, kill and destroy through her. Because she was wonderful during that follow-up. She was rough in her delivery, but kind and interactive, and I didn’t say a word. Not "I told you so, or look what didn’t happen!” I chose to let the light of Jesus beam from our very much alive and well darling Samuel boy!
The lies the enemy tried to speak against us through that woman were exactly that: lies. Our Samuel is living, breathing, thriving proof in the power in the name of Jesus.
Below is a song by Natalie Grant that reminds me of this story I shared about our time on bedrest. It is the acoustic version (which I just love that much more). Please listen to the words and let the song remind you of who He is and how he defends and shields. Please comment below another song or experience that reminds you of the power that is the name of Jesus. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to read it!
https://open.spotify.com/user/1295596595/playlist/651XNGrqkAJFMthf3hqbFY
Below are the links to the other installments of "The Samuel Series." Please read through the beginning of this miraculous story!
https://www.thewellplace.org/home/samuel1
https://www.thewellplace.org/search?q=samuel+series+2
https://www.thewellplace.org/home/samuel3?rq=samuel%20series%203
https://www.thewellplace.org/home/samuel4?rq=samuel%20series%204
https://www.thewellplace.org/home/samuelseries5?rq=samuel%20series%205
https://www.thewellplace.org/home/thesamuelseries6firstlook?rq=samuel%20series%206
https://www.thewellplace.org/home/thesamuelseries7leanintothegrief?rq=samuel%20series%207
